Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
dEvELoPIng SmALL SoftWArE
In EngInEErIng EducAtIon
In this area, one of the problems is the lack of
suitable thinking approach. The students are used
to solve design problem still based on analytical
approach, not based on synthetic approach. They
have difficulty in applying the acquired specific
knowledge to their design task, although they have
already learned that from related nature science
or engineering science courses. However, the
engineers of 21
st
century need not only innova-
tive talents but also interdisciplinary abilities to
develop new technologies and products. Appro-
priate teaching aids are therefore necessary for
the challenge of engineering design education.
In addition to teaching the knowledge of engi-
neering science, today the design and simulation
methodology play more and more an important
role in engineering. Therefore it seems that new
requirements on the curriculum of engineering
design courses are necessary to enforce the stu-
dents to use the present facilities to actuate and
accelerate their learning progressions (Tsai 2008).
Concerning to this task, a wide range of profes-
sional software have been made that can be used
to increase the effectiveness of learning as well
as teaching such as SolidWorks®, AutoCAD®,
ArchiCAD®, Abaqus®, LabView®, Matlab®
etc
.
Although the professional software provide note-
worthy facilities in both industrial and educational
fields, but for many of the educational centers it
is not affordable to pay for their licenses and to
employ them for educational affairs. However the
fact that there are always possibilities to enhance
students' cognition through some proper ploys
such as developing e-tools and freeware or small
software sounds encouraging.
Relevant visual tools ensure quick and com-
prehensive transfer of information and convey
data, coding of which in written or spoken form
takes longer time and more facilities, or in many
situations even it is impossible. The main forms
of visualization can be counted as images, anima-
tions and simulations (Upitis 2008).
The authors believe that even with purposeful
small software especially with a plain, but intel-
ligible graphic interface, the students will be able
to reach a better understanding of the design and
simulation courses, admitting that there is no
other branch of science as objective, tangible and
virtualizable as engineering.
Thus, in this field the application of script
languages, embedded inside general purpose
1
software is preferable like Python™ that has
embedded inside Abaqus®. According to the
authors' experience, the use of Visual Basic®
for Application (VBA) for the beginner level of
programming inside an engineering course, aimed
to solve simple design problems and not directly
to programming is usually a good choice.
Programming itself may sometimes help the
students to clarify the complex mathematical
environment needed to solve engineering prob-
lems. Regarding to this fact that math is just a
powerful tool in the hands of the engineers it is the
essential term of every designing or simulation,
but should not be considered as the main task of
the engineering.
Focusing on mechanical engineering as the
branch of the engineering which is sorely in-
volved in design and simulation, the next para-
graphs will present some examples of software
aimed to help the students to understand better
the design of mechanical parts. The design of a
camshaft or simply of a single cam is usually a
difficult task to solve. Because it deals not only
with the design of the shape and to make the lever
in a way that follows a certain displacement law,
but also it needs to take into account the speed
and more important the acceleration law for the
lever (and sometimes also the jerk, first derivative
of the acceleration). When the general geometry
of the cam and the lever are simple and the ap-
plied displacements and loading system are not
complex, the design and its calculations can be
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